Charges dropped against man accused of fatally shooting a pregnant woman at a Missouri mall

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Prosecutors have dropped charges against a man accused of fatally shooting a pregnant woman as she went to a suburban Kansas City mall to buy baby clothes.

Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Michael Mansur said Monday that not enough evidence had been gathered to prove charges against the 21-year-old beyond a reasonable doubt.

Authorities believe multiple people fired shots after two groups got into an argument at Independence Center on November 10. Four people were shot, including 19-year-old Karla Brown, who was four months pregnant when she was killed.

The fact that police were unable to find any of the weapons used hampered the investigation, forcing investigators to rely on shell casings and blood spatter. Kansas City Star reported.

The 21-year-old man was initially charged with three counts of unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action in the shooting. One of the charges was later upgraded to second-degree murder.

But Mansur told According to the Kansas City Star, the county’s investigation will continue and additional charges could be filed.

According to court records, the 21-year-old and Brown entered the mall with several groups of people. Brown fell backward and sat down in a chair before an altercation between the groups turned violent. Brown was shot in the head and died about a week later.

The 21-year-old told detectives he was in the mall at the time of the shooting but was not armed.